When the day arrived for the battle to begin, the four-footed beasts
all came running along to the field, shaking the earth with their
roaring and bellowing. The wren King also came with his army, whirring
and buzzing and humming enough to terrify any one out of his senses.
Then the wren King sent the hornet forward to settle upon the fox's
tail and sting it with all his power. As soon as the fox felt the
first sting he drew up his hind leg with the pain, still carrying,
however, his tail as high in the air as before; at the second sting
he was obliged to drop it a little bit; but at the third he could
no longer bear the pain, but was forced to drop his tail between his
legs. As soon as the other beasts saw this, they thought all was lost,
and began to run each one to his own hole; so the birds won the battle
without difficulty.
When all was over the wren King and his Queen flew home to their
children, and cried out: "Rejoice! rejoice! we have won the battle;
now eat and drink as much as you please."
The young wrens, however, said: "Still we will not eat till the bear
has come to our nest and begged pardon, and admitted that we are fine
and handsome children."
So the wren King flew back to the cave of the bear, and called out,
"Old grumbler, you must come to the nest and beg pardon of my children
for calling them wretched young brats, else your ribs shall be crushed
in your body!"
In great terror the bear crept out and begged pardon; and afterward
the young wrens, being now made happy in their minds, settled down to
eating and drinking, and I am afraid they were over-excited and kept
up their merriment far too late.
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